BILLINGS, Mont. – Celebrating its six graduating players while maintaining an outside shot at a Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships berth highlights the final home stand of the season for the Montana State University Billings women's soccer team.
 
The Yellowjackets (5-7-3, 2-6-2 GNAC) host Western Oregon University (5-7-2, 4-4-2) on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. before welcoming Saint Martin's University (3-11, 2-8) on Saturday at noon. Live video for the matches will be available through the MSUB Sports YouTube channel online here, with live statistics available online here. "It's going to be pretty crazy playing my last two games here, and it feels like yesterday I was a freshman," said fourth-year senior captain Haylee Gunter. "It's kind of bittersweet, but I'm excited to get a couple wins in before I leave here."
 
The Yellowjackets enter the week in sixth place in the GNAC standings with eight points, and remain in the hunt for a top-four finish in the regular-season standings which would earn the team a berth into the conference tournament. With four matches left on the schedule and a maximum of 20 total points available to MSUB, Northwest Nazarene (19 points, third place), Simon Fraser (15 points, fourth place), and Western Oregon (14 points, fifth place) all remain within striking distance over the final two weeks. "There is still a fighting chance, and I told the team that until we are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs that I am going to believe in the group that we can make it," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "I feel like we have put together performances that are certainly worthy of a playoff team, and we just need to stick with it and keep performing at a high level."
 
After this week's home matches, MSUB plays at Northwest Nazarene University on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. and at Central Washington on Nov. 6 at noon to close the 2021 fall season. "We are just focusing on what we can control, which is our results, our attitude, the way that we show up, and the way that we perform on Thursday," Cavallo said. "The chips will fall into place where they are meant to be, but we want to win."
 
MSUB was twice defeated during its road trip last week, falling 1-0 at the hands of Simon Fraser last Thursday before a 3-0 loss to No. 12 Western Washington last Saturday.
 
'JACKETS SEND OFF SIX SENIORS SATURDAY: MSUB will honor its six graduating seniors in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. "This group of seniors is really special," Cavallo said. "They have given everything they could to this program, and we really appreciate everything that they have done. We just really want to end on a high note with these last four games."
 
LYTHGOE'S TENURE COMES TO AN END: The longest-tenured Yellowjacket student-athlete in any sport, Rachel Lythgoe will be honored in her final appearance in an MSUB uniform. Lythgoe broke into the team as a freshman in the fall of 2016 and has battled numerous injuries throughout her six-year career at MSUB. Overall Lythgoe played in 20 matches with four starts, while totaling 681 minutes.
 
GUNTER GOES THE DISTANCE: Gunter will bring her four-year career as a starter to an end over the coming weeks, after playing in 52 matches and earning 45 starts since the fall of 2018. Gunter has scored six goals while adding two assists, and she overcame an early-season injury this fall to return strongly to the pitch as team captain. "It has been a total growing experience from being the quiet freshman on the team to growing into a captain and helping lead some of the freshmen into their seasons here," Gunter said.  "We have had some really good games, and I think we are just focusing on finishing off the season with some solid matches."
 
BLOYDER'S FINAL HOMETOWN MATCHES: Billings native Lexie Bloyder will bring her four-year career to an end over the next few weeks, and will bookend a soccer career that started at age six in Billings. The West High School graduate has played in 57 matches with 38 starts, while contributing six goals and two assists. "I think I'm just going to try to enjoy my last two games on this field this weekend and try to have as much fun as I can," said Bloyder. "It has definitely been special to continue playing in my home town in front of family and friends. It has been really enjoyable."
 
CORBIN TO SUIT UP FOR FINAL TIME: Injuries cost senior Josie Corbin her final college season on the pitch, as she will also make her final career appearance on Saturday. Corbin has played in 39 matches in her four years at MSUB, while starting seven and contributing an assist as a midfielder.
 
FINDLAY FINISHES ON HIGH NOTE: Senior center back Ally Findlay has started each of the last five matches for the 'Jackets, playing her way into a key role in her lone full season in the program. Overall Findlay has played in 18 matches at MSUB, and scored a memorable goal in the team's 1-1 double-overtime draw against Simon Fraser earlier this fall.
 
TIP OF THE CAP TO TIFFIN: Injuries prevented senior center back Ashley Tiffin from seeing action this fall, but she remained on the squad as an important part of the leadership group. After transferring from Saddleback College, Tiffin played in eight matches for the 'Jackets during the modified 2021 spring season.
 

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Western Oregon University Wolves
Thursday, October 28, 2021 – 1:30 PM – Yellowjacket Field – Billings, Montana
2021 Record: 5-7-2, 4-4-2 GNAC
Head Coach: Kacey Bingham (3rd season)
2019 Record: 10-6-3, 7-3-2 (3rd place)
First Meeting: MSUB 1, WOU 1 (2 OT) (Oct. 2 at Monmouth)
 
The Wolves have elbowed their way into postseason contention, entering the week just one point out of a playoff spot in fifth place in the league standings with 14 points. WOU split last week's games with a 2-0 loss to Northwest Nazarene before rallying for a 4-2 win over Central Washington. After Thursday's match in Billings, WOU takes on No. 4 Seattle Pacific University on the road.
 
Lilly Nowatzke leads the team with four goals and two assists for 10 points, while Piper Matson and Jada Foster have each scored three times. Foster is joined by Chloe Smith and Erika Moreno to form the trio of WOU players that has started every match this year.
 
Goalkeeping minutes have been split between Darien Walton, who has started eight matches with a 1.71 goals-against average, and Emily Wheeler, who has five starts with a 1.15 goals-against average. Walton has started each of the team's last two matches.
 
The Series: MSUB is 11-10-5 all-time against WOU and is 8-3-2 in home matches. MSUB is undefeated in the last five home matches dating back to the 2013 season.
 
Last Time Out: Sydney Torres scored on an assist from Maddie Smith in the 36th minute, before Matson countered with an equalizer in the 52nd minute of the eventual double-overtime draw in Monmouth, Ore., at the beginning of the month.
 

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Saint Martin's University Saints
Saturday, October 30, 2021 – 12 PM – Yellowjacket Field – Billings, Montana
2021 Record: 3-11, 2-8 GNAC
Head Coach: Heather Cato, 5th season
2019 Record: 4-13-2, 2-10 GNAC (T7th place)
First Meeting: SMU 2, MSUB 0 (Sept. 30 at Lacey)
 
The Saints enter the week on a seven-game losing skid, as their last conference points came in their 2-0 win over the 'Jackets a month ago. SMU plays at No. 4 Seattle Pacific on Thursday night before visiting the Yellowjackets on Saturday.
 
Maddie Wolff leads SMU in scoring with three goals, while a total of 10 different Saints have combined to score the team's 13 goals this fall. Payton Aselton, Salma Perez, and Jordyn Jolley are the three SMU players who have started all 14 matches this season.
 
Veteran Ali Campigotto has made 11 starts in goal with a 1.71 goals-against average, and has made 52 saves which ranks her fourth in the GNAC.
 
The Series: MSUB is 13-10-2 all-time against SMU and holds an even 6-6 record in home matches against the Saints. SMU has won three straight games in Billings dating back to the 2017 season.
 
Last Time Out: SMU struck twice in the opening 17 minutes to bury the Yellowjackets 2-0 on a soggy day in Lacey, Wash., in the teams' first meeting of the fall on Sept. 30.